--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in an age of mediocrity." description: "\"We live in an age of mediocrity.\" — Lauren Bacall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lauren-bacall-2297_age_we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-1160034_1160034.png" --- # We live in an age of mediocrity. ![“We live in an age of mediocrity.” quote by Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lauren-bacall-2297_age_we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-1160034_1160034.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lauren-bacall-2297_age_we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-1160034_1160034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lauren-bacall-2297_age_we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-1160034_1160034.png) > “We live in an age of mediocrity.” [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker critiques contemporary culture as settling for mediocrity, urging higher standards and ambition. **In simple terms:** Society accepts mediocrity today. Key Takeaway Strive for excellence. Themes culture mediocrity ambition Mood critical hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - workplace - artistic creation Key Concepts social critique philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What mediocrity do you accept? - How can you raise standards? A Different Perspective Not everyone values excellence; some find comfort in sameness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) ## Related quotes > [ We live in an age of mediocrity. Stars today are not the same stature as Bogie \[Humphrey Bogart\], James Cagney, Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-stars-today-are-not-the-same-stature/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [You will never live to my age without you keep yourselves in breath with exercise, and in heart with joyfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/you-will-never-live-to-my-age-without-you-keep-yourselves-in-breath/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [We are very lucky to be living in an age in which we are still making discoveries. It is like the discovery of America-you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/we-are-very-lucky-to-be-living-in-an-age-in-which-we-are-still-making/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I don't want to live beyond the age of 75. That would be a good point to bow out. I don't want to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cilla-black/i-don-t-want-to-live-beyond-the-age-of-75-that-would-be-a-good-point/) [Cilla Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cilla-black/) > [We are lucky to live in an age in which we are still making discoveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-lucky-to-live-in-an-age-in-which-we-are-still-making/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is not possible to live in this age if you don't have a sense of many contradictory forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rem-koolhaas/it-is-not-possible-to-live-in-this-age-if-you-don-t-have-a-sense-of/) [Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rem-koolhaas/) > [We live in an age of miracles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levon-helm/we-live-in-an-age-of-miracles/) [Levon Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levon-helm/) > [Live well, Ichigo. Live well, age well, go bald well, and die after me. And... if you can, die smiling. (Isshin Kurosaki)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tite-kubo/live-well-ichigo-live-well-age-well-go-bald-well-and-die-after-me-and/) [Tite Kubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tite-kubo/) > [We live in an age where everything is based on the short term.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/we-live-in-an-age-where-everything-is-based-on-the-short-term/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [But say, my lord, it were not regist'red, Methinks the truth should live from age to age, As 'twere retailed to all posterity, Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-say-my-lord-it-were-not-regist-red-methinks-the-truth-should-live/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Elephants can live to an age of up to 70 or 80 years and they have a good memory. It could be they come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-leakey/elephants-can-live-to-an-age-of-up-to-70-or-80-years-and-they-have-a/) [Richard Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-leakey/) > [Live well, Ichigo. Live well, age well, go bald well, and die after me. And... if you can, die smiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tite-kubo/live-well-ichigo-live-well-age-well-go-bald-well-and-die-after-me-and-2/) [Tite Kubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tite-kubo/) > [According to my stars, I will live up to age 70.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/according-to-my-stars-i-will-live-up-to-age-70/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [You are 27 or 28 right? It is very tough to live at that age. When nothing is sure. I have sympathy with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-are-27-or-28-right-it-is-very-tough-to-live-at-that-age-when/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [We live in an age when there is no room for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/we-live-in-an-age-when-there-is-no-room-for-the-impossible/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) ## More by Lauren Bacall > [No, I don't like legend. I mean, I don't like the category. And to begin with, to me, a legend is something that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/no-i-don-t-like-legend-i-mean-i-don-t-like-the-category-and-to-begin/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [Losing Bogey was horrible, obviously. Because he was young. And because he gave me my life. I wouldn't have had a - I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/losing-bogey-was-horrible-obviously-because-he-was-young-and-because/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [Very few people want to hear the truth. Bogie was like that, my mother was like that, and I'm like that. I believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/very-few-people-want-to-hear-the-truth-bogie-was-like-that-my-mother/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I don't consider myself a great actress. I'm just trying to stay alive, actually. I think I'm good, and I've learned a lot, certainly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-great-actress-i-m-just-trying-to-stay-alive/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I wasn't brought up as a society girl to go to balls and be a debutante and marry the social set and money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-wasn-t-brought-up-as-a-society-girl-to-go-to-balls-and-be-a/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [He named me. He liked the sound of it. And I said, well, all right. I felt a little odd about it. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/he-named-me-he-liked-the-sound-of-it-and-i-said-well-all-right-i-felt/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I like to work with really good professional people - anyone with real talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-like-to-work-with-really-good-professional-people-anyone-with-real/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [Film is not a woman's medium. If you weren't the hottest kid in town, men stayed away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/film-is-not-a-woman-s-medium-if-you-weren-t-the-hottest-kid-in-town/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/imagination-is-the-highest-kite-one-can-fly/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I finally felt that I came into my own when I went on the stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-finally-felt-that-i-came-into-my-own-when-i-went-on-the-stage/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [It's inappropriate and vulgar and absolutely unacceptable to use your private life to sell anything commercially, but I think it's kind of a sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/it-s-inappropriate-and-vulgar-and-absolutely-unacceptable-to-use-your/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I suppose there are times when I can't believe that I've lived the way that I have and done the things that I've done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-suppose-there-are-times-when-i-can-t-believe-that-i-ve-lived-the/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [I have made mistakes in the past and been in movies that really weren't good, and that I needed the money at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-have-made-mistakes-in-the-past-and-been-in-movies-that-really-weren/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [ Everything in this country \[the US\] has got to be good looks and unlined faces and thin bodies and people running around in skirts… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/everything-in-this-country-the-us-has-got-to-be-good-looks-and/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [In actual fact, I've never been one, even from childhood, to kind of analyze myself very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/in-actual-fact-i-ve-never-been-one-even-from-childhood-to-kind-of/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) [Explore all 173 Lauren Bacall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We live in an age of mediocrity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lauren Bacall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lauren-bacall-2297_age_we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-1160034_1160034.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lauren-bacall-2297_age_we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-1160034_1160034.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lauren-bacall-2297_age_we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity-1160034_1160034.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We live in an age of mediocrity.” — Lauren Bacall", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lauren Bacall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We live in an age of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/we-live-in-an-age-of-mediocrity/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```